I’m sympathetic regarding what a pain it is to create a proposal. When I was writing books, I felt grumpy when I had to do a proposal. That’s when I dipped into what I call Authors’ Magical Thinking.
That’s when …
The 10-Novels Rule
In the past week I’ve read more than 650 pages of royalty statements for our clients from a variety of publishing houses. Such an activity gives me a bird’s eye view of how the industry is doing, as I’m looking …
Remembering
Memorial Day, a day for remembering the passing of loved ones and of those who fought in battles–who died not knowing and perhaps not caring about the fighting’s outcome. I find it hard to move past the significance of the …
Are Agents Prima Donnas?
As I read agents’ blogs, tweets and Facebook comments, I’ve been wondering if we’re a bunch of prima donnas. You might have noticed that we’ll often utter such directions as:
Don’t call me, don’t write me, but here are the …
What’s Next?
As our governing officials turn their attention to how to reopen our nation after the coronavirus recedes, this is a good time for writers to ask themselves, What’s next? What kind of books will consumers want to buy?
A Snapshot
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Coronavirus and Publishing Update
In conversations with our agency’s clients these past couple of weeks, each one has asked me how the coronavirus affects publishing. We, of course, don’t know the long-term affect. But I thought I’d update you all on what’s happened so …
Publishing Success: Find the Right Idea
Today I want to take a look at the part of the publishing process that kickstarts your publishing success or dooms you not to succeed. This step might seem obvious, yet many a writer makes a misstep from the get-go: …
What Book Category Your Manuscript Fits in and Why You Should Care
Having recently decided not to represent a number of writers for the same reason, I’m reminded how important it is to know what book category or genre a manuscript belongs in. Or as we talk about it in publishing: Where …
What Book Category Your Manuscript Fits in and Why You Should CareRead More
The Laugh-Cry Formula for Writing
Long ago and far away, I was employed by a non-profit that had developed a large publications department. We produced everything imaginable in print, including books for all age groups and a magazine with millions of readers. While working there, …
To Rewrite or Not to Rewrite
This week three of my clients are rewriting their entire manuscripts, each at the behest of a publishing house editor who has expressed serious interest in the project. That means three of my clients faced the dilemma: To rewrite or …